 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Problem: How can we use GIS in a campaign to convince decision makers?
Solution: GIS excels at depicting places and information about those places. While many uses of GIS are for neutral data display or rigorous analysis, it can also support more open advocacy. Using credible information and a well-considered strategy from a public interest group, GIS can enable the creation of outstanding maps, often combined with other graphics for greater impact.
Here are two projects that show what GreenInfo Network does to help groups with their advocacy:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sierra Club: Angeles Chapter – Southern California Forests Campaign: The national forests of Southern California are under pressure from development in the region. The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club needed to inform the general public as well as forest planners and decision-makers about those hot spots. They needed simple maps that could give a quick overview as well as a close-up view of the Trabuco canyon section of the Cleveland National Forest. GreenInfo Network prepared a series of maps to help the Club chapter in its advocacy – maps used in presentations and publications, as well as to help internal planning by the chapter.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Impacts of Tejon Ranch Development: Save Tejon Ranch, a public interest group focused on California environmental issues, was concerned about potential impacts of planned development at Tejon Ranch in Northern Los Angeles and Southern Kern Counties. The proposed development would detrimentally affect sensitive habitats, increase traffic through a heavily traveled corridor, and potentially pave the way for continuous sprawl connecting Los Angeles and Bakersfield metropolitan areas. Also concerned about impacts of the development proposals was the United States Navy, which conducts numerous training operations in the area. In an innovative partnership, Save Tejon Ranch and the Navy worked together with GreenInfo Network to map the proposed development areas in relation to military flight training routes, illustrating that a large portion of the proposed residential area lay directly under low-elevation flight routes. The resulting map has been critical in communicating these findings, to the public, the landowners, and decision-makers, and has become an instrumental tool in the fight against the development proposal – click here to see it online.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Below are other examples of GreenInfo’s work to help groups persuade key audiences:
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Greenbelt Alliance “At Risk” map: This very powerful map shows the lands at risk of future development in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is part of major communications and policy program by Greenbelt Alliance. Updated every several years, the risk mapping classifies lands as "high" or "medium" risk based on the balance of development pressure and land protection regulations. Each county is ranked as to their performance and this information plus the underlying study and the mapping are issued to the news media, which is usually very receptive in its coverage. Rather than propose what should be conserved, the risk mapping asks, "is this the future we want for the Bay Area?". As such it is a powerful tool for engaging governmental and civic interests (and funders) in dialog about basic policy choices.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
- Urban Limit Line (Contra Costa County, California): Created for Greenbelt Alliance, this map shows the impact of proposed changes in the County’s urban limit line, approved by the voters in the 1990s. GIS was used to create exact measurements of acres in and out, and to better adapt to frequent changes in proposals.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
- San Diego County Open Space: Mapping support for a 2004 general plan initiative campaign to protect over 700,000 acres of open land was provided by GreenInfo Netowork.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
